Pages

Friday, September 20, 2013

Use it up

This is a post about piles.  
You know the ones.
The piles of things you "might use someday."
The piles of things "too cool to throw away."
The piles of things "too good to use."
and then there's the "inbox pile" - the stuff received/found so recently it's still in a little box on my desktop.

When the inbox overflows, I sort it and file it into the pre-existing piles, and add new things to the inbox.

I was using my scraps more regularly during June and July because of the index-card-a-day challenge, but things have really been piling up since then.
 
So HERE.
Proof that I can actually use my stash.
It's a tiny dent, but it's progress.

 
We had Chinese takeout one night on vacation, and unwrapped some of the oddest/funniest fortunes I've ever found.  They were too good not to save, but I will not save them forever.
"Though I am not naturally honest, I am so sometimes by chance."

"Most people, once they graduate from the school of Hard Knocks, automatically enroll." 

 
The postcards above and below feature old photographs sent to me by Indigo.  She found them in an abandoned house.  I'm rather haunted by these photos.  Who are these people?  Did they live in that house? Why was the house abandoned?  How many years have these pictures been tucked away, unnoticed?  Why didn't anybody want them?  What other treasures lie inside? (the land owners gave Indigo permission to explore/take things before the house is demolished.  How cool is that?)

anyway - I had the momentary feeling that these pictures were just too precious to use and I should keep them.  But for what?  I already have albums upon albums of old photos of people who were actually related to me that I can't bring myself to use, so why hold onto the photos of presumably dead strangers?  It was liberating to just glue the original pictures onto the postcards.

Stamped image of a canning jar sent to me by.....??? (damn, I can't remember - but thanks!)

Sent to my pie-loving friend Pamela:
words to live by

Sent to the delightfully twisted Lynn, who would not report me to child protective services for making jokes about babies and booze:
sign me up!


It's Friday afternoon, and I have that feeling of limitless potential that comes at the start of every weekend.  The list of art-related things I plan to accomplish is ridiculous and unachievable, but a girl can dream can't she?  Whatever I end up doing, I promise to take a few things out of the piles.

15 comments:

  1. Those fortunes are hilarious! So much better than the stupid ones I get like "You like Chinese Food". And I always feel sad when I find old pictures, or whole albums, for sale. Was there no one who wanted to keep these old pictures of their family? Or did family just run out? Either option is very sad. I struggle to use actual photos too - good for you for sending them back into the world!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Wonderful cards! Want to offload some of those old photos? I'll take some. Seriously, I don't have any from my own family...I think I'd rather have a stranger's family photos anyway. Wild cookie fortunes, too! Have a wonderful weekend.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I already felt we were long lost sisters...then I heard about your obsession with both Fortune Cookies AND Old Photos...and I knew right then that we were twins:) I have an 'Overflow Inbox'... when it's full I just get a bigger box:)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. kindred spirits, indeed. of course if I keep this up, I'll need an "overflow house."

      Delete
  4. Love the art!! Love the use of the stash!

    ReplyDelete
  5. "uncanny"... chuckle. :-)
    I think "delightfully twisted" is the nicest thing anyone has said about me in ages.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. thanks for laughing at my bad pun. cracked myself up over it.

      Delete
  6. Karen--A Belated thank you for the fabulous PIE postcard. it has a place of honor on my studio -- and I just picked apples from my tree to make an apple pie this weekend. I love those fortunes--how fun are they? And yes--I totally agree--use those old photos Indigo gave you (lucky you!!). A neighbor friend gave me a bunch of her family photos and I love using them for art -- they get a whole new life that way- I have hundreds of my own family but i do have trouble using them. But, I'm trying to follow Leslie's example -- she uses her own family photos to great effect and sends them out into the world. I love your stuff!!!! (And yes, how cool IS it that Indigo got to explore that old house....).

    ReplyDelete
  7. PS I used to think it was so sad when I saw photos or albums for sale too but I think they are treasured and loved by us -- the artists -- who buy them and lovingly use them. I can only hope an artist gets a lot of my old stuff when I kick the bucket!

    ReplyDelete
  8. First of all, I saw "piles" and my first thought was hemorrhoids, and while I'm relieved this post was NOT about hemorrhoids, I thought you of all people would love to hear about my interpretation.

    Secondly, I love that first fortune cookie quote. So awesome.

    ReplyDelete
  9. I don't have any piles... :P Is that denial????
    Mandy

    ReplyDelete
  10. LOVE fortunes..... and piles (the stash kind). I'm a serial collector and I MUST use it all. Now that I'm back in action I guess I'll have to do some mail art.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Stacks, piles, boxes & bins, check, check and check. What good mail artist doesn't have 100x more goodies than she needs?! How else are you supposed to find just the right image to go with the words? Love the pairings you came up with....so much fun.

    ReplyDelete
  12. I don't approve of fortunes that are like poorly written jokes.

    ReplyDelete
  13. I hear ya about the piles. I started going through some of my piles, and became overwhelmed and had to lie down. I love what you've done. You have great style and sense of humor!

    I feel way out of it. I'm an island. Sorry to be so long away.

    ReplyDelete